Tag Archives: Christian Lopez tax bill

It’s been over a week since Derek Jeter went 5-5 and hit a home run for his 3,000th hit in front of a packed crowd at Yankees Stadium. Although it’s been a week I can’t believe that Christian Lopez didn’t keep the ball!

In 1961 Roger Maris hit home run number 61 into the right field seats in the Bronx. Like, Christian Lopez, the young guy who caught the ball wanted to give the ball to Maris without compensation. You know what Roger Maris told young Mr. Sal Durante? He said “Keep the ball kid and get a few bucks for it.” Sal did indeed get a few bucks for it, $5,000 to be exact, which brings me right back to Christian Lopez and the new Mr. 3,000.

I give the kid credit for giving up the ball, especially since he may be on the hook for $14,000 in income taxes, but would anyone have though less of Christian had he told the Yankees “I have a ton of student loan debt and I’ll give up the ball if you settle my loans and through me something for a down payment on a house. I’m not going to sell the ball to anyone other than the Yankees and I don’t want any of the money to come from Derek Jeter.”?
I know I wouldn’t have. I remember Christian stating at the press conference that he was young and had a lot of time to make money. Oh, to be young and naïve again. That ball would have fetched at least $500,000 and it’s going to take a ton of time for him to make that type of money. The Yankees would have coughed up $500K without a second thought.

Who knows, maybe Derek Jeter settled or is going to settle Christian’s debt. It’s not like its DJ’s style to hold a press conference and state that he’s going to do what’s right. DJ is dropping a stupid amount of money on his Tampa Bay mansion and he makes around $500K per 20 at bats. I hope DJ or the Yankees do the right thing and help the kid out.